Prestwich Heys
Matches
Tue 08 Oct 2019  ·  First Division North
Prestwich Heys AFC
Prestwich Heys
A Hall (71'), R Wilson-Heyes (73'), J Wood (85'), O GOAL (22' OG)
4
0
Pilkington
Heys late rally secures victory over Pilkington

Heys late rally secures victory over Pilkington

STEPHEN HOWARD8 Oct 2019 - 22:23
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Heys back to winning ways

Prestwich Heys returned to winning ways with a 4-0 win over Pilkington at Adie Moran Park.

After four defeats in their previous five matches, two of which were in the League, this was welcome victory for Heys that keeps them firmly in the hunt for one of the four promotion places on offer.

They were made to work hard for the win against a Pilkington side who were threatening to take charge early in the second half after they had fallen behind in the 23rd minute courtesy of an own goal.

Heys shaded the first half but it was the visitors who started the second the more impressive but once Anthony Hall scored Heys second goal, there was no turning back.

The hosts confidence came back and they played some great football capped with two further impressive strikes from Rio Wilson Heyes and Jacob Wood, the latter a stunning individual strike, to gain an ultimately deserved win.

Heys started in lively fashion with Wood marauding down the right and putting in a dangerous low cross, which the Pilkington keeper Patrick McLoughlin had to be alert too, with Wilson-Heyes waiting to pounce.

The latter then broke free himself to bear down on goal, but McLoughlin was quickly out to smother.

Having survived the early threat Pilkington gained a foothold in the game themselves with some tidy passing, although were unable to trouble the Heys goal.

Heys pace moving forward was a threat and they took the lead in the 22nd minute. Shelton Payne broke down the right and drilled in a low cross which a visiting defender, under pressure from Danny White, steered into his own net.

Buoyed by the goal Heys pressed again and a great run and cross by Will Shawcross picked out Payne in space but his low shot was blocked on the six-yard line.

After a difficult start to the season Pilkington have begun to find their feet in the League and they responded in confident fashion to build some real momentum. There was a real let off for Heys in the 35th minute when a thunderous 25-yard shot by Luke Sephton cannoned off the cross bar with Heys ‘keeper Russell Saunders beaten.

However, the Heys stopper was equal to the challenge three minutes later when he dropped low to save.

Heys looked to build on their advantage quickly after the interval. In the opening minute Wilson-Heyes was denied by McLoughlin and then Brad Sixsmith had a shot deflected wide.

However, Pilkington picked up the pace again and began to push Heys back. It took some scrambling defence from a free kick and a couple of timely challenges by Danny Vincent and Saunders, doubling up as a sweeper, to keep the visitors at bay.

A couple of interventions from Shawcross acted to swing the pendulum back in Heys favour. A shot from the edge of the area that whistled past the post was followed shortly after by a stinging drive that McLoughlin fumbled into the path of Wilson-Heyes, who fired wide.

Nonetheless, there was some real impetus in Heys play and in the 71st minute they doubled their lead. The pace of Anthony Hall threatened to take him goal wards before he was upended some 30 yards out. However, the Heys man dusted himself down before then planting a super low driven free kick into the bottom corner.

Suddenly the shackles came off. The demons Heys have had hanging over them these last few weeks were seemingly banished and two minutes later they were celebrating again.

Wilson-Heyes broke through the middle and with McLoughlin advancing he lifted an assured chip over the keeper and into the net.

Playing with real freedom there was almost a third goal in as many minutes for Heys when Shawcross and Hall linked to find Jamie Sinnott, but McLoughlin was out quickly to block his shot.

Heys newfound confidence was perfectly illustrated however five minutes from time. Wood picked up possession on the right and set off on a mazy run that saw him cut into the box before smashing an unstoppable shot into the far corner of the net. A glorious goal.

Wheeling away in triumph and mobbed by his teammates it was clear the joy had come back into Heys play. A morale boosting win and the perfect tonic after a difficult few weeks.

Team: Russell Saunders, Jacob Holt, Danny Vincent, Brad Sixsmith, Jacob Wood (Capt), Adrian Bellamy, Danny White, Shelton Payne, Rio Wilson-Heyes, Will Shawcross, Anthony Hall Subs: Jamie Sinnott (for Rio 75mins), Dylan Moth (for Shawcross (76 mins), Sam O’Donnell (for Payne72 mins), Kieran Sherlock, Carl Fitton

Match details

Match date

Tue 08 Oct 2019

Kickoff

19:45

Attendance

83

Competition

First Division North

League position

10
Prestwich Heys
13
Pilkington
Team overview
Further reading

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Principal Club Sponsors - REDCAR DEVELOPMENTS LTD
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Associate Sponsor - Signage Systems
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